Just weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit to the UK was overshadowed by confusion over where he’d even be staying, after reports that he would lodge at Buckingham Palace were denied by the palace itself. Now, according to British press reports late Wednesday, the couple are preparing for something far bigger than a visit: a permanent return to Britain, six years after stepping down as working royals.
The Telegraph reported that Harry and Meghan plan to leave the United States by the end of the month, settling into a private, non-royal residence outside London. Several UK outlets, including the BBC, reported that their children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, have already been enrolled in a British school ahead of the September term. The couple has reportedly already selected a home, though notably not one of the royal family’s official residences.
King Charles was informed of the plan on Sunday, according to the Press Association, and has responded warmly, welcoming the chance to see more of the family in a personal capacity. That said, PA reported there will be no change to the couple’s formal status. They will remain non-working royals regardless of where they live.
The announcement lands with unusual timing given what preceded it. Harry and Meghan visited the UK with their children in early July, during which they had a private meeting with the King, their first extended time together as a full family in years. But even that trip carried tension, with the Buckingham Palace stay reportedly falling through because Harry hadn’t accepted the invitation with enough advance notice. The children hadn’t seen their grandfather since 2022.
The backdrop to all of this remains the rift that sent Harry and Meghan to North America in the first place. The couple left Britain in 2020 amid an escalating feud with the royal family, one that deepened further after Harry published his memoir, “Spare.” Since then, Harry has spoken about wanting to repair his relationship with his father, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and has continued treatment since, though the specific type has never been disclosed publicly.
Harry has also long held the media responsible for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi, a history that has shaped much of his wariness toward returning to public life in Britain.
